Hedge and lawn clipper



Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED bsrl-tres PATENT OFFICE 2,161,357 HEDGE AND LAWN CLIPPER Bernard H. Kaplan, Fairfax, Calif; Appliation August z5, 193s, serial No. 97,779

4 Claims.

This invention relates to lawn and hedge clippers and has for its objects improvements in such apparatus in which double elongated reciprocating blades are used so as to effectively trim or 5k clip the heavy twigs of a hedge or to mow grass or the like, and a mounting and means of operating the blades on a power lawnmower whereby the blades ma'y be disposed to extend vertically or horizontally in verticalor horizontal planes and may be raised or lowered to various heights, v all. while maintaining a .positive driving connection with the driving motor of the mower' through a conventional clutch adapted to disconnect the power connection to the blades, as desired. Other objects and advantages will `appear in the following description and accompanying drawing.

Fig. l is a iront view of the apparatus comprising my invention with the blades shown in full line and disposed in a. vertical plane and extending vertically ior trimming the side of a hedge and the blades are alsoindicated in dotted line to show their positionwhen in lawn mowing position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View showing the blades disposed in a horizontal plane and extending horizontally in an elevated position from the mounting at oneside of the mower for trimming the top of a hedge.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the blades in lawn mowing position and also showing the mounting of the blades on the carriage or mower, when in this position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the mounting of the blades for raising or lowering the same for trimming hedges of vario'us heights.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the connection between the flexible driving shaft and blades.

Fig. 6 is a. view, partly in section, showing the means for reciprocating the blades.

In detail, I provide an engine or motor I supported by ground wheels 2 for rolling -on the 45 ground, the engine being connected, as by a sprocket chain 4 to the wheels for driving the latter through conventional gears and sprockets. A power driven shaft projecting from a side of the engine drives bevel gears 5, 5 the latter driv- 5.) ing a shaft extending upwardly therefrom on which is the socket'element 6 of a cone clutch and rigid shaft I extends upwardly from the cone element of the clutch, which cone is moved to and from driving engagement in the socket ele? ment by a co-nventional lever 8 retained between (c1. 5ft-237) spaced collars on shaft 1. Shaft l connects at its upper end with one end of a flexible cable shaft 9 rotatable in a flexible hose sheath IIJ, which sheath is rigidly held by' a clamp II on arm I2 against rotation with the shaft 9, arm I2 lbeing bolted to the frame or to the engine as shown.

'I'he opposite end of exible shaft 9 is provided with a. rigid elongated extension member I3 (see Fig. 5) which is square in cross section and which member slidably extends into a complemcntarily formed recess in one end of a shaft I4, the opposite end of shaft I4 being formed with a pair of oppositely oiset cranks I5, I5.

Shaft I4 extends outwardly of a top plate I6 of an oblong housing through a bearing hub Il formed on said top plate. A rigid sleeve I8` fits over the hub at one end and is secured thereto by a set screw I9, and the end of the hose sheath I extends into the opposite end ofthe sleeve I8 and is secured thereto by a bolt I9f. l The cranks I5, I are disposed within the housing of which I 6 is the top, 20, 20 opposite sides, and I6 the bottom, the opposite ends being open and the housing being of elongated rectangular shape.

Within the aforesaid housing are upper and llower elongated plates 22, 23, slidably fitting within the housing, and projecting at their opposite ends out of the open ends of the housing. The fiat sides of said plates are together and each plate is formed intermediate its ends with a transversely extending slot 24 each slot being fitted with a separate sliding block 25 and the blocks respectively rotatably litting the cranks I5,

I5 respectively. The adjacent sides of plates 22, -23 are recessed adjacent the cranks to accommodate theA web 26 connecting the cranks as at 25. lThe opposite projecting ends of plate 22 are provided with arms 2l projecting therefrom and to one side of the housing, while lower plate 23 is provided with similar arms 28, the outer ends of arms 2'I being bolted to an upper elongated blade 29, and the outer ends of arms 28 being bolty ed to a lower elongated blade 30, which .blades are disposed with their dat adjacent' sides in sliding engagement and are respectively formed with teeth 3| along adjacent edges whereby upon longitudinal movement of the blades relatively, grass or twigs entering between the teeth Will be cut, in the same manner as in conventional mowing machine blades and substantially as shown in my previous Patent No. 2,051,862 dated August 25, 1936.

It will be seen from the foregoing that upon are-vertically slotted at 34 for passing bolts for securing the housing and blades tothe mower actuation of the motor of the mower, the blades will be' longitudinally reciprocated 'relatively through the flexible shaft and grass, twigs, or sprouts entering between the-teeth will be out. Also, due to the flexible shaft connecting between the bladesand engine, said blades will function to cut material in a plurality of positions without disconnecting the shaft connection.

- Secured to the housing enclosing plates 22, 23 are a pair of bracket arms 33 projecting upwardly from .one-side of the housing, which arms in the desiredpositions. j

For supporting the blades and housing in position for cutting grass, a pair of fiat horizontally spaced metal arms are revolvably supported on a short horizontal bar 3B secured to the frame across the front of the mower and wlllpro'dect outwardly of opposite outer sides of the wheels 2 insuring a clean cutting-of a much wider swath than heretofore in lawn mowers, and at the same time eliminating the objection of flattening the grass by the wheels prior to cutting. .Coil springs 31 yieldably support the blades at. the desired elevation, and permit the blades to automatically accommodate themselves 'to inequalities in the surface elevation of the lawn. 'I'he slots in,`

bracket arms 33 also permit a preliminary adj justment of theblades to the desired elevation.

'I'he rear ends of yonefoi? the arms 35 extends rearwardly at 38 to a point accessible to the operator whereby the operator by pressing down on post 40 removably secured at its lower end tothe frame 36' of the mower adjacent one side of the frame. The post is made up of a pair of channel iron strips welded vor secured together, back to back, thereby providing outwardly opening chan nels on opposite sides. The engaging bottom walls of the channel stripsat the lowerend of the post are vertically slipped between upwardly projecting spaced parallel members 4I that lie in the opposite channels,'thus supporting the post upright, and if desired the members may be further secured in position by passing bolts 42 through said members-and post, but this is not always necessary. Members 4l are weldedv or bolted to frame 36.

Within each of the channels is 'sudamy fined,

a vertically elongated block 43. A pair of straps 44 are bolted at 45 at one end tothe block adjacent the engine, and the other end of each strap projects to one side of the post where bolts 46 extend transversely through the straps to en gage a bracket member 41 in the form of an angle bracket arms. 33 that are connected to the housing and elements mounting the-blades in vertical position Sat one side of the mower as seen in Fig. 1.y From the upper bolt 46, a cable 43 extends upwardly over a pulley 50 at the -top of the post and down the opposite side to a small-winding drum 5l that is secured to a side of the post. The

winding drum has a` handle 52 for winding the cable and thereby elevating the blades by drawing the sliding blocks 43 upwardly inthe post channels, and the drum is formed with an annular row of openings 53 through one end for passing a bolt 54 through an opening in the drum supporting bracket and one of openings 53 for holdingthedrum in any position of rotation. The operator is thus enabled to raise and 'lower the blades at will, by removing the bolt 54 and then inserting the bolt again to hold the blades at the desired elevation. A ratchet or any other suitable locking means for the drum may obviously be substituted for bolt 54 and openings To support ltheblades horizontal for trimming the top of the hedge, I provide the angle iron able bolts 51 at its outer end forbolting the arms 33 ofthe housing thereto, a set screw 53 at the strip 55 being provided for clamping the arm 56 at any desired degree of extension from the side of the mower. .the now horizontally extending` blades may be elevated or lowered to the desired height.

It will be seen that in all three 'of the positions above described the flexible shaft 3 isat all times operatively connected to the blades and the only adjustment necessary for changing the positions of the blades ,from lawn mowing position to hedgev trimming position is to remove the bolts connect- Several ing arms 33 to the arms 35 v(Fig. 3l. sets of blades may, of course,'be operated from 'the motor without invention. The hose sheath over the flexible shaft 3 not only protects the shaft, but tends to assist in supporting theshaft.

It is of material importance -to note that the driving connection betweenl the shaft and blades is disposed at a' point substantially intermediate the opposite ends of the blades, thereby trans- .mitting the power uniformly to the blades, and

also the means for reciprocating the blades is continuously revolving in one direction.

Having described my invention, I'claim: 1. In apparatus of the character described, a.

'frame having ground wheels, a pair of parallel,

horizontally extending, elongated toothed cutting blades slidably mounted one on the other with their flat sides together for longitudinal reciprof cation relatively, a rotatable drive shaft and a pair of cranks on -said shaft offset relatively at opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the shaft, a bearing rigidly secured to each blade rotatably receiving one of said cranks whereby the blades will be reciprocated oppositely by the cranks upon rotation of said shaft power means on said frame forrotating said shaft, supporting means mountingsaid 'blades on said frame in a position Substantially parallel with the ground; the bearingsy By manipulating the cable 43 horizontal pivot connecting the arm with the frame for swinging the arm in a vertical plane about the pivot and means securing the blades to the arm at a point spaced from the pivot whereby the blades will be raised or lowered relative to the ground upon swinging the arm on said pivot.

3. Inapparatus of the character described, a frame having ground wheels for rolling over the ground, an arm projecting outwardly of the frame at one end and a horizontal pivot conlnecting said arm to the frame at a point .spaced from said end for swinging said end in a vertical plane about said pivot, a pair of horizontally disposed, elongated, toothed cutting blades positioned in sliding engagement with their flat sides together, means for reciprocating said blades longitudinally of the blades relative to each other, means for securing said blades in said position. means securing said blades to the outwardly projecting end of said arm against tilting relative to horizontal while permitting the blades to swing in saidvvertical plane together with said outwardly projecting end of said arm upon swinging said end, and releasable locking means supporting the outer end of the arm and blades in elevatedposition relative to the ground upon the outer end of the arm and the blades being swung from a lowered position to the elevated positon, the means for reciprocating the blades comprising a exible driving connection operatively connecting between the drive shaft of a motor and vsaid blades at all times during movement of the blades in said vertical plane.

4. In apparatus as described, a portable frame carrying a pair of elongated,l toothed cutting blades slidably engaging each other with their iat sides together for longitudinal reciprocation relatively, a pair of arms rigidly connected to each of the blades, said arms projecting laterally from the blades to one side and a pair of superposed plates connected respectively to said arms, means supporting said plates for recprocation relatively in the'direction of the length of the blades, lmeans for reciprocating said plates relatively comprising a pair of cranks offset relative to each other, a bearing block rotatably receiving each crank slidably connected with each of said plates and means for revolving said crank.

BERNARD H. KAPLAN. 

